Piper Archer II vs Piper Cherokee

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Piper Archer II
35 ft × 24 ft ⭥ 7 ft
1× Piston Fixed Unpressurized
Piper Cherokee
30 ft × 23 ft ⭥ 7 ft
1× Piston Fixed Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Piper Archer IIPiper Cherokee
Stall speed 53 kt55 kt
Approach speed 66 kt74 kt
Cruise speed 128 kt115 kt
Range 600 nm455 nm
Service ceiling 13236 ft14300 ft
Rate of climb 667 fpm660 fpm
Fuel burn 10.5 gph8.4 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Piper Archer II Avgas
10.5 gph
Baseline
600 nm range 12.2 nm/gal 48 gal usable $68 fuel/hr 4h 34m endurance
Piper Archer II: 10.5 gph at cruise, 600 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 34 minute endurance, 12.2 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper Cherokee Avgas
8.4 gph
Baseline
455 nm range 13.7 nm/gal 50 gal usable $55 fuel/hr 5h 57m endurance
Piper Cherokee: 8.4 gph at cruise, 455 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 57 minute endurance, 13.7 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing over 50 ft obstacle

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Piper Archer II Avgas
$114 /hr
Baseline
Piper Archer II: $114 per flight hour — fuel $68, maintenance and reserve $46.
Piper Cherokee Avgas
$89 /hr
Baseline
Piper Cherokee: $89 per flight hour — fuel $55, maintenance and reserve $34.
Piper Archer II Piston
$7,800 /yr Baseline
Piper Archer II: $7,800 per year — insurance $2,500, hangar $3,600, annual inspection $1,700.
Piper Cherokee Piston
$5,600 /yr Baseline
Piper Cherokee: $5,600 per year — insurance $1,400, hangar $3,000, annual inspection $1,200.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+ cargo
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Piper Archer II Piston
4 / 4 seats cargo 48 gal / 48 gal fuel 846 lbs wet payload 1,134 lbs useful 2,550 lbs MTOW
Piper Cherokee Piston
4 / 4 seats cargo 50 gal / 50 gal fuel 649 lbs wet payload 949 lbs useful 2,150 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: → · two fingers to move map

+ cargo
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